Can we change the future of heart health? Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for nearly one-third of all deaths globally, affecting hundreds of millions of people each year. Yet while its impact is widespread, it is not uniform. Disparities in access to care, prevention, and treatment mean that certain communities face worse outcomes. Despite this, CVD remains one of the most preventable and manageable global health challenges.
The World Heart Federation is proud to announce Beats of Change, a new branded film series produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions. Through human-centric storytelling, this series will explore the most innovative and impactful solutions in cardiovascular health. From the prevention of heart disease through behavioural and environmental change to cutting-edge advances in detection, treatment and care, Beats of Change will highlight progress across the patient journey.
The series will address three key themes:
Resilience
How can we reduce the incidence and severity of cardiovascular disease? This chapter explores prevention at every level—tackling drivers like obesity, air pollution, and diet; equipping healthcare workers to detect issues early; and harnessing innovations in screening technology. It will also examine how shifting attitudes and education can drive healthier behaviours and better outcomes.
Response
What’s next for accessible cardiovascular care? From groundbreaking surgeries to personalised medicine and data-driven technologies, this chapter uncovers the future of treatment. It will also highlight efforts to close care gaps, ensuring life-changing advances are accessible to all.
Empathy
What does it mean to live with cardiovascular disease? This chapter shares lived experiences, tackles stigma, and envisions compassionate care tailored to diverse groups. From managing daily challenges to rethinking care for diverse populations, to ensure tailored and equitable treatment.
By amplifying a range of voices and reframing perceptions of life with heart disease, the series will provide an engaging, solutions-focused, and informative platform for global audiences to learn more about cardiovascular health.
The series will be hosted on a dedicated branded microsite on BBC.com and is set to launch in September 2025. A multi-platform digital campaign will engage BBC.com’s 175 million monthly browsers, further amplified by the World Heart Federation and its network.
BBC StoryWorks’ creative teams will collaborate directly with selected partners to produce vivid pieces of branded content for the campaign. If your organisation has a story to share in line with these themes, please submit your expression of interest by filling in this short form: https://www.bbcstudios.com/worldheartfederation by 7th March 2025
A selection of respondents will be invited to discuss engaging BBC StoryWorks’ creative teams to produce a branded piece for the series, which will require a fee determined by production variables. A team of BBC StoryWorks researchers, producers and writers will work closely with selected organisations to create vivid pieces, and partners will be supported by BBC StoryWorks and the World Heart Federation to promote the content on their own channels.
For further information, please contact:
Elara Oakes, Series Developer at BBC StoryWorks: [email protected]
